Experienced persons in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs might not necessarily make good diplomats, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says.
He made the point Monday when asked at a press conference about his government’s policy on selecting envoys to represent the country overseas and how he would respond to public servants who feel diplomatic postings should be a natural elevation.
“First of all, I look for the ability of the person. And I make an assessment about the competence of the person,” he said, adding that competence includes “a number of different criteria”.
“Experience is important but you don’t have to be hanging around many years, as you see we have done with La Celia Prince, who has been a very good ambassador in Washington and also Camillo [Gonsalves] at the U.N.,” the prime minister further said.
“And you can look from the time of Independence, you ain’t gonna find people pointing to an ambassador at the U.N. who has done better than Camillo. And if anybody has done as good as La Celia, I don’t think they would necessarily have surpassed her.”
Ambassador Gonsalves, a son of the Prime Minister, is coming to the end of a five-year tour of duty at the U.N.
Gonsalves says he considers the personality of the candidate for ambassadorial appointment and also considers people who understand and are prepared to carry out the foreign policy of the Government.
“You may be in the Foreign Service and you are experienced and you may be able to do the job as permanent secretary, as senior assistant secretary. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to be able to do a job as a diplomat as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gonsalves said last week that his government would be making changes to its Foreign Service personnel overseas.
There are a number of schools in Europe, Switzerland and the United States for the training of people to become diplomats. We should be sending our people for proper taining. Perhaps then we would not have diplomatic crisis arising such as what happened when the Gonsalves boy attempted to ignore a NY police officer and failed to identify himself.
Its not just about being a diplomat its about the art of diplomacy, diplomacy that is in operation 24 ours a day, not just when your in the UN or some other meeting.
Gonsalves boy? Peter, YOU ARE FILLED WITH HATE
HOPE, you are confusing hate with truth, I leave hate to the ULP politicians.
Tell me what exactly you describe as hate, I am quite surprised that I write something with truth and honesty, and you translate it into hate. You must be a very sick person.
You must be related to the fat man.
YOU COULD NOT FIND BETTER PERSONS THAN EARL PAYNTER ,MARCIA KIRBY OR EVEN PAT MARTIN FORMER STAFF OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WHO COULD BE BE DIPLOMATS AND PRESENT STAFF SANDY PHILLIPS PETERS, ANDREA HAZELL AND JANICE BOWMAN HOWARD WHO KNO THE INS AND OUT OF THAT MINISTRY BUT NON OF THEM IS BRIGHT ENOUGH OR FILL THE EYES OF THE KING AND THE PRINCE AND I ALMOST FORGET MORZART CARR.
Canadian Vincentians are a pretty savvy lot. Moving to a big country from a small island has made them wise up to the way of the world. I say that in the nicest most possible way. They are a great collection of people who do our little country proud.
I cannot believe that anyone of them would be silly enough to invest their hard earned savings into the old country as it currently is. The last thing they want to do is lose the savings that it has taken a lifetime to accumulate.
There have been a few Vincentian Americans who have invested, and who regret doing so.
Currently there is a lot of spite and malice, even hatred, the whole country has been divided politically. Neighbours hating neighbours, whole families split and hating each other. Its just a dreadful situation to see and experience.
We must blame politicians who have told their people to own the jobs, those jobs only being available if you hold a ULP party card. Over the last 12 years people have been removed from their jobs because they are not ULP, then the jobs filled with ULP supporters. Its not done in a secretive way, it downright blatant. This kind of action has caused the people to hate each other, the spit and malice is directed from a regime that many describe as Marxist.
WOULD YOU BE SILLY ENOUGH TO INVEST IN SVG UNTIL THERE IS A CHANGE?
BEACHBABY, your spot on right, all these positions are given to ULP supporters who are chosen for a special reward. Its what is called ‘jobs for the boys’.
Almost everyone believed when young Gonsalves was given the post of Ambassador to the UN, it was wrong. Many Vincentians cried shame, its nepotism. There were perhaps people more experienced and qualified than him for that position. Career foreign office workers and diplomats are just dumped by the way-side to allow all these people to get their political favours.